Early childhood educators and social workers can expect to earn around $36,000 and $39,000, respectively. By contrast, petroleum engineering and metallurgy degrees promise median earnings of $120,000 and $80,000. Not many aspiring early childhood educators would change course once they learn they can earn more in metallurgy or mining. The sexes, taken as a group, are somewhat different. Women, far more than men, appear to be drawn to jobs in the caring professions; and men are more likely to turn up in people-free zones. In the pursuit of happiness, men and women appear to take different paths.

Incidentally, the second comment at the Althouse blog makes a point that the issue isn't women entering caring vocations but women entering vocations where they can be controlling. Maybe. Human psychology is an interesting field, with lots of twists and turns, which leads to the ninth comment (DKWalser at 2/1/14, 4:51 PM).